shoulde not die, he required to haue the priueledge of his boke, according to the auncient custome and manner. But here it was obiected against him that he was bigamus, and therefore he might not haue his boke by þe law, notwithstanding that he neuer had ii. wiues, but because his wife had two husbands, it was imputed to him for bigami. Thus this good goldsmith being secluded from al hope of life, by the crafty malice of some malitious persones: his wife being a woman of proued honesty & good name, came in before the iudges. And perceyuing her former marriages to be hurtful vnto her husband, to saue her husbands life, she toke an oth before the iudges, that she was not Bigamus, and that she was neuer maried to mo men then to the said goldsmith, althoughe she had children by her other husbandes, and continued diuers yeres with thē, yet she sware she was whore to them both, and not marryed. And this good and louinge woman by defaming of her selfe to her great praise, and singular example of loue
This clause was added to the account by Foxe.
This paragraph, drawing moral lessons from the episode, was added by Foxe.
During the time that this law of the vi. Articles brought many good men vnto deathe, it happened in this great slaughter of gospellers that the contrary secte of bishops, did not also clearly escape. Amongst whome the law made for the abrogation of the bishop of Romes autoritye oftentimes stirred some tempestes and trouble, as is before mentioned of Moore, Rochester and others. MarginaliaGermine Gardiner. Larke priest of Chelsye. But besides thē the same law condempned two other this yere, one Germine Gardiner,and another Larke priest of Chelsey, which were put to deathe at London for defending the bishop of Romes primacy aboue the kinges autority.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaRogers burnte in NorthfolkAbout this time was one Rogers a lay man of Norfolke burned by the duke of Norfolcke, for the true affirmation of the Sacrament. After whose death it was skarsly half a yeare ouer passed when as the Duke was depriuedof his eldest sonne, a man endowed with many singuler giftes and ornamentes of nature, and he him selfe committed vnto prison. Who at the lengthe acknowledging, or at the least moderatinge his erroure, became afterwarde muche more gentle and meeke towarde suche kinde of men.
[Back to Top]COncerninge the next yeare folowing, we finde as yet no more matter in record, but onlye of two personnes, Ihon Athee and Ihon Haywood, of which ii. we finde fyrste Ihon Athe to be indited
Foxe drew all of his information on John Athee from Bishop Bonner’s register (Guildhall MS 9531/12, fo. 254v).
MarginaliaIhon Heywood attached and deliuered.The same yere also followed the recantatyon
John Heywood had been condemned to death along with Germain Gardiner and John Lark, but he recanted on the way to the scaffold and was reprieved (he was More’s brother-in-law). He did public penance in July. Foxe obtained his material, including Heywood’s public recantation from Bishop Bonner’s register (Guildhall MS 9531/12, fol. 61r).
[Back to Top]Marginalia1544.I Am come hether at this tyme, (good people) willingly and of mine owne desirous sute, to shewe and declare vnto you brieflye. Firste of all the greate and inestimable clemencye, and mercifulnesse of oure moste soueraigne and redoubted Prince, the kinges maiestye, the whiche his highnesse hathe moste gratiouslye vsed towardes me a wreatche moste iustly and worthely condempned to die, for my manifolde and outragious offences, hainouslye and traiterously committed againste his maiestye and his lawes. For wheras your maiesties supremacye hath so often bene opened vnto me bothe by wrytinge and speakinge (if I had had grace, either to open mine eies to se it, or mine eares to heare it) to be surely and certenlye grounded, and establyshed vpon the verye true word of GOD.
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